


Endurance Test

by Featherly



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Teen Titans - All Media Types, Young Justice (Cartoon), Young Justice - All Media Types
Genre: Endurance - Freeform, Tortured, space
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-22
Updated: 2017-12-12
Packaged: 2018-12-18 15:55:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,776
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11877861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Featherly/pseuds/Featherly
Summary: Dick and Wally wake up in a room with no idea how they got there or why they're there. They figure someone's behind it, and someone's got to let them out eventually, right?Well it becomes obvious soon enough that no, they don't.





	1. Chapter 1

Dick woke up blindfolded with a headache, only he wasn’t sure if he was waking up since he couldn’t even remember going to sleep. He tried with all his efforts to remember just what he had been doing, but it was impossible. Last thing he could remember was relaxing in the young justice headquarters after an arduous mission, and then there was nothing.  
He couldn’t even remember what the mission was.

He became aware of his surroundings; the chair he was sitting on, the metal cuffs and ropes tied around his bare wrists and ankles, the breezy sensation all over his body... Was he naked? No, he was still wearing underwear. He was incredibly uncomfortable now. 

Dick tried to loosen the ropes around his wrists by pulling on them, but it was hopeless. Even if he got rid of the rope he still had the metal cuffs to deal with, and with nothing on his persons there was no way to get away.

he shook his head violently in an attempt to remove the blindfold, but it refused to move. He stopped trying to escape and instead thought of how he got there... He inhaled deeply, wary of the complete absense of details surrounding his situation.

“... Someone there?” asked a voice across from Dick. He stiffened up, startled.

“...Kidflash?”

“Robin! Hey, think you could untie me?”

“No can do Kid. I’m probably as stuck as you are. Or maybe moreso. You can’t vibrate out?”

“Tried, failed. Got that stupid suppressor collar on me. We arent going anywhere.”

“Oh...”

Silence struck the room. He felt embarrassed about the situation. He figured Wally was blindfolded too and couldn’t see him, but that didn’t stop his insecurity.

“You’re blindfolded too?” Wally asked. 

Dick nodded before remembering neither of them could see. Stupid. “Yeah. Kinda starting to hurt.” 

“You know how we got here?” asked Wally. 

“No. None. Last thing I remember was chilling at the base. Can’t even remember why.”

“Some mission we did? I can’t remember either.”

The situation was far from ideal, but Dick was confident they would get out of it. He was relieved Wally was there to ride it out with him too.

The two sat there for a very long time in silence, each considering how they could escape, how they got there. More importantly they were trying not to panic. Just how did they get there?

Dick pulled his wrists away from the chair again, seeing just how much movement he had. To his slight horror he pulled too hard on one side, and the cuff restricted his wrist even more painfully. “Oh... Oh god.”

“What is it?” demanded Wally.

“The cuff, it’s too tight... If it stays like this it could do damage.”  
“This bombs man. We don’t know where we are, we don’t know why we’re here, and I really have to pee.”

Dick hadn’t thought of that. “Just keep holding on. We can’t be here for that long. Someone has to come by soon.” Wally’s stomach made an aggressive sound. 

Dick forgot about Wally’s sped up metabolism. He would be in a tremendous amount of pain...

Hours passed. Wally had used himself as a bathroom, Dick was tempted to do the same, and his hand was numb from the cuff. Who the hell put them there?

**

They didn’t know it, but a whole day passed outside where they were being kept. 24 whole hours. Kidflash was close to starvation, and Dick couldn’t feel his hand at all anymore. Finally, one cracked. 

“I can’t do this... Whoever’s there, please, stop this!” called Wally. All he got in return was Dick’s breathing. He licked his dry lips and called out again. “Hey! We’re no use to anyone here... If you wanna kill us, just do it dammit!”

But again, no reply.

“Wally, you ok over there?” 

“No. No this is not ok... I’ve never gone so long without eating. It really hurts...” 

Dick didn’t know what to say to this. He was starving himself, so Wally would be far worse off.

“How’s your hand?”

“Honestly, I forgot about it till you brought it up.” 

He meant this as a joke, but it only made the room more tense. Both of them were scared but refused to be the first to admit it. 

Hours passed again in silence. Dick started thinking about what day it was. How long had they actually been there? He let his mind drift, and could hear Wally breathing hard as if fighting back tears on the periferal of his mind. He said nothing.

**

Another day passed. They had been there for 51 hours total to be exact. The smell of urine would have been overpowering to anyone who entered the room, but to the boys the gradual timing made it so they could hardly notice it at all. Both were severely dehydrated, but secretly glad they werent drinking any more. Neither wanted to pee themself any more. It had become incredibly uncomfortable...

“We’re gonna die Dick. Noone’s gonna save us.” Wally was holding back tears.  
Dick said nothing, but listened as his friend let go of the tears and started crying with shunted breaths.  
“I just... I wanna know why we're here. And, and why noone came for us.” Wally’s voice was dry, and somehow it was wet at the same time. “So many oportunities we will never have... So many regrets we can never repent for...”

“I’m gonna die a virgin” said Dick in a monotonous voice. 

“But you said, about that girl... The starry one-”

“I lied. Didnt actually get to do it... I mean we had the foreplay and everything, but I got a little too excited too quickly, and, well, yeah.” 

“I’d laugh, but im not even 100% sure of what you just, um... said.” 

He was delirious. Dick didn’t think Wally would last much longer. It had been two days... Or maybe three. Maybe even a week. They didnt know. 

**

In the 79th hour since they were placed in the room alone, Dick had an intense feeling of unease. He felt like he was being watched, or that something was missing, or that he was forgetting something, but he didnt know what.

“Hey Wals?” he called out. There was no reply. 

“Wallace? You there?” but again, silence. 

Dick’s breathing was quiet but inside his head he was screaming. His mind went to the worst possible scenario, and he believed his friend was dead from starvation. So he sat in silence. If he was being watched, he wouldn’t give his kidnappers the satisfaction of seeing him break. If he was going to die, he was going to do it with dignity.

His thoughts ran at a mile a minute, and his mind was beginning to go already, from the absense of food and water he had endured. He breathed, and thought, and nothing else.

What had happened to the other members of the young justice team? Why hadn’t batman found him by now? He was angry and hurt by this especially.  
Who was the lead for his school’s play? Who won the science fair? What was he doing there?

His aching head eventually drifted to the thought of his parents, his real parents. He pulled on his restraints without even realising it, and a sharp pain ran up his numb arm. It was probably blue now. What would his parents say? What would they think of him now? He was a fantastic performer back in the day, doing incredible acts with his Mum and Dad. 

His mind drifted to the last time he saw Haly’s circus, only a short amount of time ago. Haly knew who he was straight away, even though it had been years. Did he know that Dick was Robin too? Haly... He remembered how he was when he was younger, with his parents. What would they say if they saw him now? Surely they wouldn’t approve... 

They would have been disappointed in him. He knew the dangers, put himself in danger all the time even. And now he was there; a victim of consequence. If they were alive, and he died then, would they even miss him? They had known each other forever, had plenty of people to love in the past, and Dick had only been with them for 10 years. 

He didn’t know how old they were, or he did but his mind was so fuzzy he couldnt remember. He didnt know how long they had been married, he didnt even know if he was a planned pregnancy... If he died then, would they find him?

Dick didn’t believe in the afterlife but he used it as an understanding of death, so he believed his parents were watching him, were always watching him. He believed they were there in the room with him then; just him, his mum, and his dad. And Wally’s dead body. Wally. His best friend in the team. The one who knew his secrets.

Wally, who would never leave the room, who would never see his uncle or aunt again. Who would never break the tension again, would never make him laugh when he had a bad day, would never talk to the point of annoyance. Ever again. 

“I’m going to die.” said Dick in a whispered, content tone.

**

84 hours in and he was hearing voices in his head. And he was replying to them.

{~Dick, how did Bruce get stuck with you?~} 

“I dunno. Poor fella took pity on me. Who are you anyway?”

{~I am your father, unluckiest man you’ll know. First my wife gives birth to you, then I die because of you. Didn’t always wanna be a circus guy ya know. Wanted to make something of myself, but too bad for me.~}

“You're not my Dad. My Dad loved me, and now he’s dead. You're just a voice. Not my Dad, or Mum, or even my uncle in a coma connecting to me via telepathic brainwaves. You’re just a voice inside my head.”

{~Okay, you got me little man. I’m not really your Dad, but I’m not really a voice either. Theres no distinct tone here, just your mind creating words in your head. I have no independant thought really, I’m just a figment of your imagination created by your delipidated state as a coping mechanism.~}

“For someone whose just a figment of my imagination, you sure do talk a lot.”

{~Well there’s not much else to do, is there Dick. Is it alright if I call you Dick?~}

“Call me Richard.” He didn’t like this voice. It was rude and unpleasant.

{~Okay Richard. How long do you think we’re gonna be stuck in here?~}

“We’re gonna die here.”

{~Oh... Like Wally. Remember Wally? If there’s an afterlife, he’s probably already forgotten you. You weren’t actually that good of friends really. I’m not sure he actually liked--~}

“THATS NOT TRUE.”

Dick yelled this into the empty room and it echoed around him in an eerie fashion. It was like an illusion of being free, of being tied somewhere in the mountains, or trapped at the entrance of a cave. 

{~Hey, maybe I’m your rational thought and I only speak the truth?~}

“You said you were my Dad. You’re obviously not.”

{~But everything else has been spot on.~}

“You’re wrong about Wally. He cares... He cared.”

{~If you say so Dick.~}

“Richard.”

{~Yeah, whatever. Hey, you’re really a virgin?~}

“Whats it to you?” his tone was arrogant yet dignified.

{~So you're unappealing not only to your parents and Batman, and Wally too actually, but also too every girl you ever had a crush on. Starfire, artemis, batgirl... And none of them wanted to sleep with you.~}

“Starfire did!”

{~Yeah, but you finished when she brushed up against you. I’d laugh if it weren’t so pathetic. She probably thought the same thing and told everyone on her team. I bet they all laughed about it at the water cooler the next day.~} 

“She wouldn’t do that! Or at least I don’t think she would...” Dick sighed. He really didn’t like this voice...

**

90 hours in and the voice had taken a form. It was a boy slightly younger than Dick by maybe just under two years who looked similar to him, but he was scrawnier and had an emo hair cut. Dick still didn’t like him, but he was better for company now that he had a form. His name was Space. Dick thought this was dumb.

They were both sitting inside Dick’s head on the floor with a deck of cards having a game of go-fish and talking like friends would.

“Got any 4s?”

{~Nope. Go fish.~}

“So where did you come from anyway?”

{~Just came out of nowhere really. I mean, I’m not alive and I never will be. Got any kings?~}

“Nah. Go fish. Are you like, an imaginary friend I had when I was younger? Like, maybe I just forgot about you? Any 2s?”

{~I don’t think thats the case. I don’t have any memories of you, except from a bit before I spoke to you~} said Space, handing across a 2.

“I guess I just don’t understand why you’re here... Do you know why I’m here? Oh, and Queen?”

{~I know what you know Dick, but I also have my own mind but its your mind. Make sense? Go fish.~}

“Nah, doesn’t make sense at all. This game kinda sucks with only two people. Can we do something else?”

{~You realise you've been sitting in a chair for what feels like a week at least outside of here right? Talking about boredom... Who do you think you are princess?~}

“Want to stop with the insults? They’re really unnecessary.”

{~Then stop acting like a princess.~} 

“Hey, we’re in my head right now right?”

{~Yeah. Thats why you can see me, and I can see you!~}

“Well, how did THAT happen?”

{~Oh, I know this one! Its kinda like a dream but you're still awake. Its like that sleep paralysis thingo, but infinitely less terrifying.~}

“And you were only a small voice hours ago... Incredible... Are you God?”

{~You wouldn’t believe that I was your Dad, but you would readilly accept that I’m God?~}

“Well... Are you?”

{~No, and personally I don’t believe in God.~}

“Yeah, ok. Hey, also, if we’re in my head, can I imagine anything right next to us and it appears?” 

{~What? No. It has to go through me first kinda. So you imagine something really hard, it appears to me, and if I don’t like the look of it I can push it away. If I do like it, I can imagine it here and it appears. I suppose I do have a purpose in your head after all. I’m like, the keeper of your mind.~} This new sense of purpose, or moreso the recognition of it made Space smile.

Dick closed his eyes. “I’m imagining my parents. Please show them to me.” 

He opened his eyes and there they were, exactly as he remembered them. His eyes welled up and he ran to them and hugged them. He cried on their shoulders and he felt them, actually felt them. He spoke to them, and they spoke back. They told him things he already knew, because he could only see them inside his head and his head only remembered what they had already told him.

He cried in his head and he cried in real life. In his head, they were growing older, and he watched them. He watched them climb to the top of the trapeze, and he watched them swing. They flew through the air with incredible ease, even if it wasn’t real. He joined them as he did when he was younger, and he was happy, and they were all laughing; Dick laughing harder than either of them. They continued to age, and when Dick finally noticed, he closed his eyes and imagined again. He opened them, and below them was a net. Space had allowed the net.

He watched them fall, and even though he knew it wasn’t real, even though he knew they would be okay this time, he closed his eyes and looked away. He heard his mother say his name, and he heard her whoosh through the air. He expected to hear a springyness of his mother hitting the safety net, but there was just... Nothing.

Dick climbed down from the trapeze, and saw his parents on the net completely frozen. They didn’t hit the ground, and the net did save them this time, but thats not how it happened. Thats not how it happened at all.

Dick put a hand on each of his parent’s backs. He stared at them, really looked at them in their moment before death. His mother was beautiful, and his father was handsome. He looked deeply into their features, and then he broke down. 

“MUM! DAD! MUM! DAAAD!” His screams became long and desperate. He was thrashing around in real life and his wrist was bleeding again from the cuff. 

Space panicked and the net was gone. Dick’s parents fell away from his hands, and they were dead again. Dick screamed and fell to his knees. Space ran over to him and pulled him into a hug, trying desperately to comfort him. {~Dick, hey. You need to calm down, like, now.~} 

Dick pulled away from Space and started hitting him. “Bring them back. BRING THEM BACK NOW!” Space raised a hand and a transperant wall formed between them. 

“Get out of my head. Bring them back or leave! I want you gone, you hear me.”

{~You keep this up and I will be gone.~}

“Thats exactly what I want. Get out. GET OUT!”

Dick hit the wall and screamed. He continued to thrash and scream, but stopped when he heard the most perculiar sound.

Somewhere outside his mind, a door opened and there were footsteps heading towards him. His breathing was erratic, and he suddenly realised just how much it hurt. He felt a stab in his arm, and then a hand on his back, and then there was nothing. No mind, no Space, just nothing.

**

Dick woke up in a bed with a killer headache. He was drowsy, and when he sat up he pulled a bunch of cords out of his body. 

“Space?” he called out. But Space wasn’t there. Noone was there. This had to be one of Space’s tricks. “Come on Space.”

The door opened, and his drowsy eyes took a moment to realise what he was seeing. Wally West in a hospital gown entered the room and ran to Dick. He threw his arms around him and said “I don’t care if you’re a virgin Dick.” 

Dick was very confused. “Is this the afterlife? Or is this Space trying to screw me over?”

Now Wally was confused. “Space? What the hell are you talking about? How long were you in there anyway?”

“In where?”

“I’m not too sure actually. The league has a LOT to explain to us.  
“So you're alive?”

“Obviously.”

“But what about Space?”

“Space? Like Outer Space?”

“No, like my friend Space. Or my mind keeper. You know what, never mind.”

“I dont know what you mean Dick, but thats ok. We had a real crazy ordeal huh?”

“I don’t want to talk about it. Can you leave actually?” Dick didn’t want to be alone with Wally in a room ever again. He missed him, and he still cared deeply about him, but he was damaged. He believed his friend dead, and he didn’t even want to look at him, because all he could see was a crying boy with piss on the front of his pants. And he figured all Wally could see of him was a dumb virgin with an imaginary friend.

Wally was a little discouraged by Dick wanting him to leave, but he complied. 

Dick looked at the roof, and then remembered his hand. There was a deep cut around his wrists and his hand had a permenant blue tinge to it. He could use it in the future, but there would always be a ‘click. Click.’ 

He lay in bed staring at the ceiling; tubes and needles sticking into him everywhere. Noone came in, and the sun went down outside his window and rose again in the morning. He wanted Space to come back in his dreams, but he didn’t. 

Batman, Flash, Black Canary, Superman, and Wally entered Dick’s room around mid day. Batman had a particularly grim look about him, and everyone looked sombre, as if someone had died.

“We owe you an explanation, Wally and Dick” said Superman. Everyone was crowded around Dick’s bed. He was very uncomfortable.

“What the hell are you talking about.” asked Dick. Wally sat down on Dick’s bed and looked up at his elders.

“You agreed to the conditions.” said Black Canary as she pulled out a small screen. Dick and Wally watched in silence.  
It was them listening to the terms they agreed to as Superman said them; ‘Do you, Dick Grayson Wayne, Nightwing, agree to have your memory wiped prior to experimentation?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘Do you agree to be restricted of movement and deprived of basic necessities for a period extending to a maximum of 168 hours?’ ‘Yes sir.’ ‘You understand the implications of this experiment, and agree to be filmed and recorded for the duration of this experiment?’ ‘Yes.’

The second half of the video was Wally agreeing to the same terms. Afterwards, Black Canary pulled out a large mound of papers consisting of their agreement in writing over 14 pages each. Then it hit them.

They had willingly been deprived of their senses and basic dignity as a test of endurance. It must have seemed like a good idea at the time, but they regret it. All of it. 

Dick was frustrated at it the most. “How long were we gone for? Why did we get taken out? And what the hell happens with the tapes now?”

This created a saddening air amongst the leaguers. “Batman will take you home when you're ready Robin, and Flash the same for you Kid.

**

“You were watching the whole time?” Dick already knew the answer, but he wanted to hear it.

“Yes.”  
Dick hated this. He knew he wasn’t going to get a lot of answers out of Bruce.

They were driving home, and Bruce had taken the suit off. They were both equals that way.

“How long was the experiment?”

“You lasted 120 hours.”

“Why was I taken out?” Dick found this effective; shorter questions, more answers.

“You were screaming and thrashing too much. You already had serious injuries... We thought you were having a seizure.”

Was that care and concern in his voice? “Did you get the data you needed?”

“Yes. And no. We now know the minimum amount of time you can survive under certain circumstances, but not the maximum endurance you can handle.”

“How long did Wally last?”

Bruce was silent for almost a minute. “I shouldn’t say... But 78 hours. He was close to starvation when we got him out. Unconscious. In a coma for about a week. In an induced coma for another week.”

“I was in a coma for over a week too.” This wasn’t a question.

“We had to. We didn’t want to shock your systems by recovering you straight away.”

Dick didn’t know what else to ask. Honestly he didn’t care much about it any more. He was happy in his head, and now he didn’t know if he would ever go there again. He wondered what Space was doing.

“No more questions?” 

It was like he was a mind reader. “No, not right now.”

“Okay. So, um... I want you to know, its perfectly normal for a boy your age. The starfire thing--”

“Oh my god, no. No. We are not talking about that. No.”

**

Dick was given a cocktail of pills to swallow every day. One was for his iron, some were vitamins, some were antibiotics for his hand and other issues, and one was to make him sleep. Dick didn’t notice for the first few days, but these pills didn’t allow dreams. So some days he ‘forgot’ to take them, or he took a short nap that didn’t need them, and in those times he dreamed. Sometimes he saw Space and they spoke for what felt like hours. Sometimes Space would show him wonderful things, but sometimes Space pulled a joke on Dick and showed him something terrible or cruel. 

Bruce knew he wasn’t taking his meds all the time; in fact the whole house knew. They knew because sometimes they heard him talking out loud in a one sided conversation or screaming about something that wasn’t there. Sometimes they heard or saw him crying, whether from happiness, sadness, or a tragic combination of both, they were unsure. But they never dared to ask him.


	2. Chapter 2

“How long can he go without... anything?” asked Superman to a distressed Aquaman.

“I... I don’t know. I never expected to lose contact with him completely!” 

Aqualad was missing. He was on a simple underwater mission and was supposed to be back 3 days ago, but he was just... Gone. Vanished. 

Superman was becoming impatient. “There is a real issue here. He’s tough, but if we don’t know how long he can survive without the basic necessities then-”

“Then I’ve failed as his mentor” cut in Aquaman. He collapsed into a chair and put a hand to his face. Superman put a hand on his friend’s shoulder. 

“We'll find him. And we will test our future leaders so this doesn’t happen again.”

**

Aqualad was found safe enough, if a little dehydrated, and true to his word Superman had organised for the proper tests to be done with the help of Black Canary. Each hero would go in pairs with a partner of their choosing, beginning with Robin, the youngest, and his partner. They would be strapped to a chair in a way of their mentors choosing, considering only their abilities in a means that they won’t be able to escape from the experiment. No food, no water, no escape. 

Presenting this to the appropriate members of the justice league gave the reaction he had expected; they were so confident in their sidekick’s abilities that they found it unnecessary. That is everyone except for Aquaman.

“It just seems... Cruel. Wally won’t last with his sped up metabolism.”

“Artemis is already so small, if she was deprived of what she already needs more of-”

“M’gann is a shapeshifter. She would never have need for this test.”

“Robin has no need for it either. He is too well trained.”

“I wouldn’t think I’d have needed it either.” said Aquaman, sorrow on his breath. “I wish I knew how long Aqualad could last. Maybe then I would have spent more time trying to get him back, and less time worrying about if he was even alive. We need this.”

There was a time of contemplation where the other members considered this. 

“How long would it go for?” asked an unsure Flash.

“No more than a week” replied Superman, “And we will be watching the whole time.”

“Whose we?” asked Green arrow, still sounding unsure. 

“Myself, Black Canary, and each individual’s mentor.” 

“If you think it is right.” said Martian Manhunter. Everyone else nodded in agreement, with the exception of course, of Batman.

“I still don’t like it” said the Dark Knight. “I have no need to put Robin through this. It is an invasion of his privacy, and I don’t intend for him to fall off the radar.”

“You talking about invasion of privacy bats?” asked Flash. “Yeah, remember those contingency plans you have made up for us-”

“Anyway” interrupted Superman before Flash could continue, “that’s the point here Batman. None of us intend to have our partners go missing, but it does happen. Do you have a contingency plan for if Robin goes missing?”

Batman began without missing a beat; “In the unlikely event Dick goes missing, I have a tracker implanted in his spinal cord- which he is completely aware of thankyou Flash. If it is removed it will leave behind a trace that has been embedded in the bone. It can be tracked from anywhere in the solar system, though I hardly believe that is necessary.”

“And if he’s taken to another dimension?” 

“He will fight until he is found.” 

“And how long will you have to find him in such a scenario?”

Batman knew this was coming, but he still hadn’t thought of an answer. How long could Dick endure such a state? “We shouldn’t do this out of sick curiosity.”

“Sick curiosity?” demanded Aquaman. “Batman, this isn’t about curiosity. This is about prioritising for what could happen in the future. We must know how long they can last so we know how fast we need to get to them.”  
Aquaman was becoming visably upset, so Black Canary finally chimed in. “Theoretically, what if they all went missing, taken to different parts of the world. We know which country each is in, but not exactly where. We need the help of the whole justice league to get them all out of their individual traps, and each takes a day or more. Who do we go for first.”

Bruce couldn’t think any more. He knew a situation like that was unlikely, but not impossible. He was well known for having a plan for every scario possible, but the truth was he had never made a plan where Robin wasn’t around. His heart told him it wasn’t possible, but it was. And he knew it was.

**

Superman stood in front of the congregation of teens with a clipboard in his hand, writing as he spoke. Black Canary stood next to him with a collection of binders, each filled with sheets of paper.   
“The test will be done in groups of two. It will be extremely dangerous, as you will be deprived of even the most basic necessities. You will all be observed by your mentors, as well as Black Canary and Myself. Each of you will be blindfolded, have your memories wiped, and be restricted from most movement. While you will not be forced to do this, failure to participate will lead to expulsion from the team. Does everyone understand?”

“Yes.” replied the 6 teens collectively, though they seemed apprehensive to agree.

“Further details can be found inside your personal contract” began Black Canary, handing out the binders. “You will read through everything, and sign in front of a surveillance camera within the next week.” 

Everyone looked at their binders, each heavy and filled with too much reading. 

“The teams are as follows;” said Superman, “Wallace West, Kidflash, will be paired with Richard Grayson, Robin, who will commence next Tuesday, the 16th of September. Conner Kent, Superboy, will be paired with Artemis, who will commence on the 30th September. Kaldur’ahn, Aqualad, will be paired with M’gann, Miss Martian, who will commence on the 14th of October. All tests begin at midday, exactly 12 o’clock, and forms must be signed within the next 48 hours.”

The teenagers were looking down at their binders as if they were about to explode. M'gann spoke up first; “so if we don’t do this, we're off the team?”   
“Yes.” replied Black Canary, sadness in her eyes.

“We are signing to be literally tortured to our peak” said Superboy, glaring at Superman. 

“We could actually die...” chimed in Wally.

“We won’t let that happen. In fact that’s exactly why we’re doing this in the first place.” clarified Superman, returning the glare to Superboy.

Dick and Aqualad were already reading through their papers. “It says here a peak is unknown... How will you know when to stop?” asked Aqualad.

“The peak differs for each of you. Unconsciousness, medical emergencies, and self harm are considered. Theres more info about that around page 70” replied Black Canary. 

**

The teens sat on the couch and read through their thick binders, each refusing to be the first to speak. Wally read through at the same pace as everyone else, even though he could have finished it in seconds.

When superboy finally finished the last line and looked up at his teammates, who had finished at random before him, the silence stayed unbroken. Batman watched them on his security feed, curious to what they would do next. 

An hour passed, and the most that had happened was a lazy flick through to the chapters they found most interesting. Superman had joined batman, and the pair watched, waiting for someone to say something.   
When another half hour passed, Batman suggested they be dismissed. Superman decided that Batman could tell them. He stood without a second thought and made his way to the young justice team.  
“You are dismissed for today. Keep your binders with you, and go about your business. This is a training exercise to test your endurance under unknown circumstances, but you need to present yourself as you usually would.” 

The team dispersed quickly, Robin stood before Batman but unable to make eye contact. Batman turned towards the exits, expecting Robin to follow, which of course, the boy did.

**

The boy wonder hardly spoke over the following week. Hours before the test was to begin, they recorded the pair signing contracts, and then seperately agreeing to the terms and conditions as recited by Superman. Batman watched, resigned, as his partner shook like a leaf during a hurricane. 

Kidflash and Robin were led to a medical bay and laid down on a gurney after stripping down to their underwear. They were told to relax and take deep breaths as Black Canary placed a mask over their faces, and soon enough, the pair were unconcious. They looked vulnerable in their unconscious state, and Batman felt a pang of uneasiness for Robin.   
Marshian Manhunter placed a hand on both boys heads, and moments later removed them, saying “They won’t remember the past week, though it isn’t permenant. They could be triggered into remembering it, but you won’t have to worry while they’re being tested.” He walked out, obviously wanting to be elsewhere.

Superman and Black Canary, the leaders of this operation, pushed the gurneys into the isolated room they would spend the next few hours, or even week in. Batman and Flash were made to sign a contract too, in order to create the most escape-proof situation for the pair.

Flash put an inhibitor collar on Walley and cuffed his hands behind his back. He twisted Wally’s legs so they were behind the chair legs and cuffed them into position as well.

Batman Cuffed Dick’s hand and tied his elbows together with rope in a knot he had never been taught to escape from. He puta chain and rope around his midsection, and put cuffs and rope around his legs individually with a method different from the ones on his arms. He tied around his knees so his legs stayed open, and escape was certainly impossible.

Blindfolds were placed on both boys, sensitive microphones were hidden next to them, and the justice league members left the soundproof room for the last time, joining the other two members in the serveillance room to watch and listen.

**

Wally woke up first. He shook his head around, trying to remove his blindfold, then started moving his hand as fast as he could. “Helloooo?” he called out. Of course silence was the only response.

Batman stole a glance at Flash next to him, who was watching with intensity. On the screen, Wally made sharp movements and grunted. “Aw... Shit. Okay...” Wally was obviously thinking of what to do. He made annoying sounds, until he heard someone across from him. Dick woke up, and Batman began watching the screen as much as flash was.

The boy wonder moaned and started pulling on his restraints. “Anyone there?” asked Kidflash. Robin jumped and called back to his friend. They had a short conversation, and the whole time Robin was trying to close his legs. They discovered the other was blindfolded, and Bruce felt guilt when Dick said it was starting to hurt. Then the conversation just kind of ended. 

Both boys were just sitting there, thin lips, thinking hard. Every now and then there was movement and the sound of a chain or strained rope. Flash and Batman watched, but drifted off a little; until there was a loud noise followed by a gasp. “Oh... Oh God...” said the younger boy.

Both men stood to attention, watching the boys on the screen like they would a battle in an action movie. “The cuff, it’s too tight... If it stays like this it could do damage.” said Dick. Batman turned to Superman, and the alien shook his head.

“But it’s a medical emergency. If it’s too tight, he could lose his hand!” Bruce almost screamed.

“We know the signs. He will be fine. The test will continue as planned.” 

Bruce retook his seat in a huff. Flash chimed in, “They can’t even use the bathroom? What about their dignity?” 

“They read through the files. They knew the risks.” replied Superman. 

“But this is maddness!” said Flash.

They complained, but ultimately they sat there and watched. Hours passed, and dignity became long forgotten.

Batman and Flash took naps in between time, taking turns throughout the night. At 3 o’clock on the 18th of Seltember, the boys finally spoke again. Batman shoved a sleeping Flash who snorted as he woke, and both stared at the screen with open mouths.

“We’re gonna die Dick... Noone’s gonna save us.” wally sounded like he was holding back tears, and it broke Flash’s heart. He sounded so hopeless and tired. His voice cracked, and then he really did start crying. He shuddered and his breathing became erratic. “I just... I wanna know why we're here. And, and why noone came for us. So many oportunities we will never have... So many regrets we can never repent for...”

“I’m gonna die a virgin.” said Dick matter of factly. Batman slapped a palm to his face. They were facing ‘certain death’ and THAT was what his kid was worried about!? Superman snickered behind him, which earned a glare from the bat. “Sorry. Unproffessional.” said Superman, straightening his back and clearing his throat.

“He’s delerious...” said Flash, concern evident. “His heads spinning... He needs to eat soon or he could die.” As if to assert this point, Wally’s stomach made a noise they could hear clearly through the mics. 

More hours passed, and the boys slept. Wally’s breathing was hard and slow, and eventually, it stopped. Flash stood and made eye contact with superman, his mouth open and his heart pounding a mile a minute. Superman nodded at him, and Flash was on the camera in a second, and gone from it just as quickly. Black Canary and Superman went to join flash in the med bay at a respectful pace, leaving Batman alone. 

He watched the time in the corner of the camera roll from 78 hours to 79, and minutes later, he saw Dick stir. “Hey Wals?” the boy cried out. He was all alone now but didn’t know it. He spoke again, and went to silence. He was silent for minutes, giving away nothing that he was thinking. He pulled on the restraints, a lound clang echoing throughout the empty room which made Batman jump. The last thing said that day was “I am going to die.” the way it was said concerned Bruce. It wasn’t afraid or worried, it was content. 

Bruce turned up the audio and fell asleep over the desk. He was awoken at the 84 hour mark, only having 4 consecutive hours of sleep, to the sound of Dick talking again. What he was saying was disjointed and made no sense. It was as if he were replying to someone, but of course there was noone in the room.

“I dunno. Poor fella took pity on me. Who are you anyway?... You’re not my Dad. My dad loved me, and now he’s dead. You’re just a voice-” 

A voice!? Dick was hearing voices. Surely that was an emergency.   
Batman looked back at Superman again, (When did he get there?) and received another shake of the head.

“Call me Richard... We’re gonna die here... THAT’S NOT TRUE!!” This was shouted into an empty room, and was so explosive it made both men jump. They watched, anticipating the next moments. Would he yell again? “you said you were my Dad. You’re obviously not.” Superman let out a breath he didn’t even know he was holding. He relaxed, but Batman didn’t.

What if Dick remembered everything already, like the Martian said he would, and was actually saying this to Bruce.

“You’re wrong about Wally. He cares... He cared.... Richard... What’s it to you?... Starfire did-” 

Batman groaned. He was really back on the Starfire thing? He looked at Superman again, who had a sly smile. “Shut up.” said Batman.

Hours passed again, and Dick seemed to have relaxed. If Bruce didn't know any better, he would think Dick were playing go fish. He mentioned something about there being two people there, which concerned the bat. Black Canary and Superman shared a glance. “It has been a long time...” said Black Canary.

“Not yet.” said Superman.

Bruce stayed silent, curiosity showing through his guilt. There was an intake of breath from Batman when Dick said “I’m imagining my parents. Please show them to me.” there was silence for maybe 20 seconds, and then Dick started crying, really crying, for the first time in so long. Batman stood, about to go out of the room, but stopped when he saw the look on Dick’s face. He was smiling, a smile so genuine: as if he had really seen his parents.

He started laughing, hard. It was almost maniacle, and sent a shiver up Bruce’s spine. It stopped suddenly, and was replaced by a concerned look on Dick’s face. His breathing sped up and his head twisted, as if looking away from something below him. His head slowly turned again and he jerked in his seat. His hands shifted, trying to get out of the restraints for the first time in days. His breathing sped up again, and he started screaming out for his dead Mum and Dad. He started thrashing in his seat, and Bruce ran out of the room.

When he opened the door, Dick was screaming “GET OUT!” Over and over. He started spasming dangerously, as if he was having a seizure, and though Bruce knew he wasn’t, he would tell him later that he was.

Bruce knocked out the boy with a syringe and put a hand on his back, feeling his lungs until he decided his breathing was okay. He took the cuffs off his wrists first, finding his vulnerable one was blue underneath the caked on blood. He carried his ward, feeling the piss on his arm but not caring. He placed him in his own room, ignoring the sudden silence as he walked past Wally’s open door.

He placed Dick in the bed carefully, and was almost shoved out of the way by Black Canary, who started working on him immediately; inserting tubes, taking samples, and washing the discoloured hand. Batman could have helped, but he decided against it. 

**

Over two weeks passed, and Dick was finally allowed to wake up. They left him to do it naturally, with no cameras and no hidden features. Batman went about his business, and wasn’t around when Wally went in declaring he ‘didn’t care that Dick was a virgin’. Bruce saw Wally though, who was concerned by Dick’s asking about Space. Bruce thought he understood straight away.

Bruce saw Dick the day after he woke up, but had no personal moment since the other relevant team members were there too. They caught up Dick and Wally, and when that was done, they were finally allowed to leave. Dick was frustrated, and Batman was annoyed that the league had dumped the whole explaning thing on him.

Bruce led Dick to the batmobile outside with one hand on his shoulder. He ignored the screaming coming from the serveillance room, most likely from Superboy whose test had already begun. He opened the door for Robin, stripped down to a t-shirt and shorts, and took his own seat. They drove for a while, and Dick finally begun asking questions.

“You were watching the whole time?” 

This was a strange first question, but simple enough. “Yes.”

 

“How long was the experiment?”

“You lasted 120 hours.”

“Why was I taken out?”

“You were screaming and thrashing too much. You already had serious injuries... We thought you were having a seizure.” The memory of his screaming and crying rang in Bruce’s ears. His tone was soft and almost affectionate.

“Did you get the data you needed?”

“Yes. And no. We now know the minimum amount of time you can survive under certain circumstances, but not the maximum endurance you can handle.”

“How long did Wally last?”

Bruce was silent for almost a minute. “I shouldn’t say... But 78 hours. He was close to starvation when we got him out. Unconscious. In a coma for about a week. In an induced coma for another week.”

“I was in a coma for over a week too.” This wasn’t a question.

“We had to. We didn’t want to shock your systems by recovering you straight away.”

Dick was silent, and Bruce was wondering what the boy wonder was thinking about.  
“No more questions?” he finally asked.

“No, not right now.”

“Okay.” Bruce remembered another thing he had wanted to bring up to Dick after the experiment. A red flush invaded his face. “So, um... I want you to know, its perfectly normal for a boy your age. The starfire thing--”

“Oh my god, no. No. We are not talking about that. No.”

**

Bruce gave Dick his obscene amount of pharmaceuticals, trusting entirely that he would take them when he needed them. He knew Dick usually did, and forgave him when he didn’t. He knew the drugs didn’t allow dreams, and the first time Bruce heard Dick talking to the voice again, Space, he decided to just leave him. He was happier in his dreams than in reality.

When he saw Dick cry, he wondered if he was with his parents again, as he believed he was that day in the room. Bruce wanted to know, but he didn’t dare ask him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BOOM another chapter. Bet noone saw (or cared about) THAT one coming?


End file.
